Seen & Heard: Hudson River Park Legislation Is Passed

••• Bikini Bar has reopened, with drinks from Everyman Espresso. See the menu above.

••• The Hudson River Park legislation sailed through Albany. “Key provisions,” as listed in the park’s release:

Allowing the Park to sell its unused development rights, pursuant to zoning, up to one block east of the Park. [Know that big building at Houston?] These funds could be used to implement desperately needed repairs to the infrastructure, including Pier 40, and may allow for capital funding for other remaining piers and portions of the public park;

New York City will contribute 100% of its possessory interest in the pier to the Park, half to be used as public parkland and half for revenue generating commercial development;

The addition of a small passenger fee on cruise tours, excluding ferries, that will build a much-needed new revenue stream funded by visitors and tourists, and; [Politicians love taxing tourists because they vote elsewhere]

Longer lease terms on most commercial piers that will improve the ability to achieve viable financial terms for commercial development.

••• From artist Seth Aylmer: “I am working on a public sculpture for Tribeca and am looking to widen the community participation in the project before it is finalized. I have a show this weekend at One Art Space where visitors will be able to view over a hundred animal drawings from fellow community members and vote on what animal will become a bronze sculpture for the neighborhood.”

••• Remember: “Whole Foods will be donating 5% of net sales this Thursday to the Battery Conservancy.”

••• I wondered about this…. Yes, the NYPD will ticket Citi Bike riders.

tweet citibike ticket

 

6 Comments

  1. Too bad they don’t see fit to ticket the local riders who ride against traffic, weave in & out, ride through red lights, and generally make being a pedestrian difficult.

    I’m all for bikes, but I do wish the riders would obey traffic rules.

  2. I don’t enjoy concussions, so I walk in the city, but I’m all for bikes: clean, healthy, compact. In their zeal for the same respect as cars, I assume bike riders welcome the same repercussions for traffic violations that cars currently receive. Until then, whenever I see a bike messenger collide with a food delivery guy (true story!), I make a wish.

  3. ok….so why is it that cops never ticket those bleeping delivery guys with the battery powered bikes. Not only are they rude, break every law conceivable, present a real danger to everyone (pedestrians. drivers and other bikers), but they are also smug and arrogant. I hate them and wish I could kick them and their bully bikes over when they come whipping by.

  4. When I see someone on a bike obey traffic laws I am shocked. I have had bikes whizz past me while crossing a crowded intersection, almost knock me over on a sidewalk and get pissed at me when I try to cross the street. They aren’t messengers or delivery guys. They are regular people out for a nice bike ride. I have even seen adults on bikes riding on sidewalks with little kids

  5. Good news for HRP! Rejoice, the wicked witch-obstacle has been removed! I am confident that the HRPT will no longer “need” the Neighborhood-Improvement-TAX or at least, cut their estimated budget shortfall to coincide with this new revenue stream. OR they will finally live up to their self-sustaining promise to the City. Oh wait, pigs just started flying out of my ass. Same old, same old. Broken promises for all. See you at the Gala! Fake tans, botox, and low-cut seer-sucker cocktail gowns for all (ladies AND gentlemen).

  6. Pedestrians generally don’t obey traffic signals any more than cyclists do – cyclists just cause more harm. I may be one of the few cyclists, and Citibike riders, who follows the rules – I stop at traffic lights, go the right way on one way streets, yoeld to pedestrians when we both have the light, etc. Every day to and from work I encounter pedestrians crossing the street against the light either not looking or not caring that there’s a bike coming. Last week I almost took out a guy who stepped off the curb, into the bike lane, against the light and worse than not looking – he looked right at me and stepped out in front of me anyway. I may have given him a dirty look and cursed at him – pretty sure I did. But when you are stopping at every light, going a couple blocks out of your way just to follow the rules, you shouldn’t have to deal with jerks who step in front of you because they don’t like cyclists…